Methods for decarbonating fermented liquids

ABSTRACT

A method of decarbonating fermented liquids in-line may include directing a carbonated malt-based liquid through a nozzle, and directing the carbonated malt-based liquid from the nozzle into a space maintained at a partial vacuum pressure. The method may further include maintaining the carbonated malt-based beverage in the space until substantially all of the carbon dioxide dissolved within the carbonated malt-based beverage has been removed to provide a non-carbonated liquid, and removing the non-carbonated liquid from the space at substantially the same rate that the carbonated malt-based liquid is directed into the space.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/925,672, filed on 24 Jun. 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,265,278, issued23 Feb. 2016. This application is herein incorporated by reference forall that is discloses.

TECHNICAL FIELD

In general, the present disclosure relates to personalized beverages.More specifically, the present disclosure relates to fermentedbeverages, such as malt-based beverages, that may be personalized to aconsumer's preference, such as by combining ingredients together.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, malt-based beverages, and especially beers, are a fastgrowing market in many countries such as China and India. In manycommercial establishments, these malt-based beverages are dispensed fromlarge commercial dispensing taps. However, such systems are not logicalfor adaptation for wide personal use. Rather, personal servings ofmalt-based beverages are independently packaged for transport and sale.However, the preparation and transportation of personal malt or cerealbased beverages has come at great expense. Due to their nature, malt orcereal based beverages have traditionally been carbonated at theirsource and then transported to their end destination in amber orotherwise dark colored glass bottles or aluminum cans. Dark coloredglass bottles and aluminum cans have been the traditional containers forthe storage and transportation of malt or cereal based beverages becausethey provide secure containment of the carbonated liquid without therelease of unacceptable levels of carbon dioxide during storage.Additionally, dark colored bottles and aluminum cans are configured toprevent the exposure of the malt or cereal based beverage to thedegrading effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or otherlight sources.

Traditional bottles and aluminum cans have also been designed to havegenerally cylindrical shapes due to the ease of manufacturing suchshapes. However, the generally cylindrical shape of glass bottles andaluminum cans are inefficient for storage and transport. Cylindricalshapes are unable to be efficiently stacked for transport or storagewithout a large amount of wasted space between the cylindrical shapes.Furthermore, cylindrical shapes can typically only be stacked in asingle vertical layer without becoming unstable for transportation.Consequently, square or rectangular structural containers and largeamounts of packaging material are typically used for the transportationand stabilization of multiple cylindrical containers.

A need exists for a container that can be used for the efficient storageand transport of cereal or malt based personal beverages.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of decarbonatingfermented liquids in-line may comprise directing a carbonated malt-basedliquid through a nozzle, and directing the carbonated malt-based liquidfrom the nozzle into a space maintained at a partial vacuum pressure.The method may further comprise maintaining the carbonated malt-basedbeverage in the space until substantially all of the carbon dioxidedissolved within the carbonated malt-based beverage has been removed toprovide a non-carbonated liquid, and removing the non-carbonated liquidfrom the space at substantially the same rate that the carbonatedmalt-based liquid is directed into the space.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,directing the carbonated malt-based liquid from the nozzle into thespace may comprises distributing the carbonated malt-based over asurface.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,directing the carbonated malt-based liquid over the surface may comprisedirecting the carbonated malt-based liquid over a wall of a cylindricalvessel defining the space.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, themethod may further comprise heating the carbonated malt-based liquid.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,heating the carbonated malt-based liquid may comprise heating thecarbonated malt-based beverage to a temperature between about 35° C. andabout 38° C.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thespace may be maintained at an absolute pressure of about 10 kPa.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based liquid may comprise an ethyl alcohol content of atleast 0.1% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based liquid may comprise an ethyl alcohol content of atleast 0.5% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based liquid may comprise an ethyl alcohol content of atleast 1% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based liquid may comprise an ethyl alcohol contentbetween about 3% wt and about 12% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based beverage may comprise between about 3% wt maltextract solids and about 5.5% wt malt extract solids.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based beverage may comprise less than about 6International Bitterness Units.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based beverage may comprise less than about 3International Bitterness Units.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based beverage may comprise about zero InternationalBitterness Units.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thenon-carbonated liquid removed from the space may comprise a carbondioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 1.5 grams perliter.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of decarbonatingfermented liquids in-line may comprise heating a carbonated malt-basedliquid, directing a carbonated malt-based liquid through a nozzle, anddistributing the carbonated malt-based liquid over a surface within aspace with the nozzle. The method may further comprise maintaining thespace at a partial vacuum pressure, maintaining the carbonatedmalt-based beverage in the space until substantially all of the carbondioxide dissolved within the carbonated malt-based beverage has beenremoved to provide a non-carbonated liquid, and removing thenon-carbonated liquid from the space at substantially the same rate thatthe carbonated malt-based liquid is directed into the space.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,heating the carbonated malt-based liquid may comprise heating thecarbonated malt-based beverage to a temperature between about 35° C. andabout 38° C.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thenon-carbonated liquid removed from the space may comprise a carbondioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 1.5 grams perliter.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based liquid may comprise an ethyl alcohol contentbetween about 3% wt and about 12% wt, and may comprise between about 3%wt malt extract solids and about 5.5% wt malt extract solids.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thecarbonated malt-based beverage may comprise less than about 6International Bitterness Units.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the presentmethod and system and are a part of the specification. The illustratedembodiments are merely examples of the present system and method and donot limit the scope thereof.

FIG. 1 is a schematic process diagram depicting stages of themanufacture process for a base liquid for making a personalizedmalt-based beverage, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a non-rigid gusseted retortpackage containing a base liquid, according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of exemplary containers, accordingto various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a processing line for manufacturingnon-rigid packages containing a base liquid, such as may be made by theprocess of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a non-rigid package manufactured, such asmade on the processing line of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional detail view of a sealing strip for use innon-rigid packages, such as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a shipping vehicle containing anumber of non-rigid packages of decarbonated beer base efficientlystacked, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart detailing a process for in-line decarbonation offermented liquids, according to one exemplary embodiment.

Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar,but not necessarily identical, elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments described herein provide devices, systems and methods forthe storage and transport of personal fermented beverages, such asfermented malt-based beverages. In the present disclosure, it should beunderstood that the present system will be described with reference tomalt-based beverages. However, the present systems and methods equallyapply to all cereal and pseudo-cereal based beverages, including, but inno way limited to beverages based on maize, rice, wheat, barley,sorghum, millet, oats, triticale, rye, buckwheat, fonio, and quinoa. Insome embodiments, at least one base liquid may be manufactured thatincludes water and ethyl alcohol, and other ingredients derived from thebrewing and fermentation of sugars, such as sugars extracted from maltedgrain, and may, according to various embodiments, include any number offlavors. The base liquid may be decarbonated after fermentation, toprovide a still base liquid. The still base liquid, which may besubstantially free of carbon dioxide or other dissolved gasses, may thenbe packaged, such as in a carton. The base liquid may then be shippedand sold to consumers, where it may be combined with carbon dioxide andotherwise prepared for consumption.

In some embodiments, a base liquid 10 for making a personalizedfermented beverage may be manufactured by fermenting a wort 12comprising fermentable sugars and water, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Thefermentable sugars may be obtained by mashing a carbohydrate source 14(i.e., utilizing enzymes to convert complex sugars to simple,fermentable sugars), such as malted barley and/or adjuncts such as oneor more of maize, corn, rye, wheat, oat, rice, millet, sorghum, cassavaroot, potato, yam, agave, and persimmon. After mashing, liquid wort 12may be separated from solids (e.g., grain husks) from the carbohydratesource by lautering. Optionally, fermentable sugars may be added to thewort 12 that do not require mashing, such as one or more of honey, canesugar, beet sugar, molasses, fruit sugar (fructose), agave syrup, maplesyrup, and corn sugar.

Various base liquids 10 may be prepared by utilizing differentingredients for preparing the wort 12. Ingredients may be selected toprovide a desired color, a desired ethyl alcohol content, and desiredflavor profiles. For example, a roasted barley malt (e.g., black patentmalt and/or chocolate malt) may be added to provide a dark base liquid10. For another example, adjuncts such as rice sugar, corn sugar, and/orcane sugar may be added to provide additional ethyl alcohol in a baseliquid without adding significant flavor or color, such as for a lightcolored base liquid 10. In yet another example, wheat may be added toprovide a wheat base liquid 10.

The wort 12 may then be boiled, and optionally, a small amount ofbittering agents, such as hops or hops derivatives, may be added priorto or during the boiling process. In some embodiments, no bitteringagents may be added. For example, the wort 12, and the resulting baseliquid 10, may include less than about 6 International Bitterness Units(IBUs) (i.e., having less than about 6 milligrams of isomerized alphaacid per one liter of liquid). In another example, the wort 12, and theresulting base liquid 10, may include less than about 3 IBUs. In yetanother example, the wort 12, and the resulting base liquid 10, mayinclude about zero IBUs.

After boiling, the wort 12 may be cooled and yeast may be added toferment the wort 12 (e.g., to convert the fermentable sugars in the wort12 to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide). The yeast and fermentationprocess may be selected to affect the flavor of the resulting baseliquid 10. For example, a top fermenting yeast (i.e., an ale yeast) maybe selected and fermenting temperatures may be relatively warm (e.g.,between about 13° C. and about 24° C.) to provide a base liquid 10having flavors of an ale style beer. For another example, a bottomfermenting yeast (i.e., a lager yeast) may be selected and fermentingtemperatures may be relatively cool (e.g., between about 0° C. and about13° C.) to provide a base liquid 10 having flavors of a lager stylebeer. In yet another example, a bottom fermenting yeast (i.e., a lageryeast) may be selected and fermenting temperatures may be relativelywarm (e.g., between about 13° C. and about 24° C.) to provide a baseliquid 10 having flavors of a steam style beer.

When the fermentation process has completed, a carbonated base liquid 16may result that comprises an ethyl alcohol level of at least 0.1% wt anddissolved carbon dioxide produced by the yeast during fermentation. Insome embodiments the base liquid 10 may comprise an ethyl alcohol levelof at least 0.5% wt. In further embodiments, the base liquid 10 maycomprise an ethyl alcohol level of at least 1% wt. For example, the baseliquid 10 may comprise an ethyl alcohol level between about 3% wt andabout 12% wt.

Bittering ingredients may, according to one exemplary embodiment, beincluded in the base liquid. Such bittering ingredients may include oneor more of hops, dandelion, pine, spruce, nettle, scotch broom, heather,and other bittering ingredients. Likewise, aromatic ingredients may beused to flavor the base liquid. Such aromatic ingredients may includeone or more of hops; citrus peel; coffee; tea; oak; charred wood; spicessuch as cinnamon, coriander, and curacao; fruits such as cherry,raspberry, peach, apple, and apricots; vegetables such as pumpkin, andblue agave nectar; and cereals such as malted barley, rye, wheat, rice,and millet.

Prior to packaging, the carbonated base liquid 16 may be decarbonated byknown methods, or new methods, to remove substantially all of thedissolved carbon dioxide gas, and any other gases, to provide the baseliquid 10. For example, after decarbonation the base liquid 10 may havea carbon dioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 1.5grams per liter. According to one embodiment, after decarbonation, thebase liquid 10 may have a carbon dioxide level between about zero gramsper liter and about 1.0 grams per liter. According to yet anotherembodiment, after decarbonation, the base liquid 10 may have a carbondioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 0.6 grams perliter. Additionally, after fermentation, and prior to packaging, thebase liquid 10 may be filtered to remove a portion of the solids.

Optionally, a carbonated liquid base 16 may be transported in bulk, suchas by a tanker truck, from a brewery to a separate packaging plant. Thecarbonated base liquid 16 may then be decarbonated and packaged intoindividual containers, such as cartons, at the packaging plant toprovide an individually packaged base liquid 18. The generation ofmultiple decarbonated base liquids allows the consumer to select from anumber of individually packaged base liquids 18 in varying levels ofalcohol content, flavor, and bitterness level, to allow for consumerpreferences.

In some embodiments, the carbonated base liquid 16 may be decarbonatedinline prior to packaging, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The inlinedecarbonation may be conducted within a space, such as a cylindricalchamber, that may be subjected to a partial vacuum. Prior to beingintroduced into the space, the carbonated base liquid 16 may be heated(step 800), such as to a temperature between about 35° C. and about 38°C. The space may be maintained at a partial vacuum pressure, such as anabsolute pressure of about 10 kPa.

The heated, carbonated base liquid 16 may be injected onto the space(step 810) via a nozzle, which may distribute the base liquid over asurface within the space, such as a wall defining the space.Alternatively, any number of specially shaped objects having any numberof varying cross-sectional profiles may be included in the space toreceive the heated, carbonated base liquid 16 as it is injected into thespace to create sufficient agitation that the carbon dioxide is removefrom the liquid. Within the space, the heat and vacuum conditions, alongwith the optional impact with a surface, may cause the carbon dioxidedissolved within the carbonated base liquid 16 to separate from theliquid and be withdrawn from the space. After the carbon dioxide hasbeen substantially removed from the carbonated base liquid 16 to formthe base liquid 10 (step 820), the base liquid 10 may settle at thebottom of the space and be withdrawn from the space to a fillerapparatus (step 830), such as those known in the art, for packaging toprovide the packaged base liquid 18.

As the base liquid 18 is substantially free of carbonation (i.e.,dissolved gases), the individual containers utilized for the packagedbase liquid 18 may be non-rigid (e.g., soft-sided or flexible)containers, and the base liquid 18 may be hermetically sealed within anorifice defined by a non-rigid wall of the container. In someembodiments, a non-rigid container may be formed from a flexible sheetmaterial, which may comprise one or more of paper pulp, a polymer,and/or a metal foil. For example, a non-rigid container may be comprisedof a flexible sheet material comprising a multi-layer laminate having afirst polyethylene layer, a paper layer, a second polyethylene layer, analuminum foil layer, a polyethylene adhesion layer, and a thirdpolyethylene layer. Accordingly, although a non-rigid container may besuitable for a liquid that is substantially free of any dissolved gases,non-rigid containers may not be suitable for carbonated liquids, as theflexible sides of a non-rigid container may not provide support for apressure difference between the content therein and the ambientenvironment. The non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may be configured tohold between about 0.5 liter and about 10 liters. For example, theindividual containers may be foil-on-foil, gusseted retort packages 19,as shown in FIG. 2, having a gusseted base configured to facilitate avertical orientation of the gusseted retort packages 19. For anotherexample, the individual containers may be an aseptic composite materialcarton 20, such as the Tetra Gemina Aseptic® available from Tetra PakInc. of Vernon Hills, Ill., USA, as shown in FIG. 3A. For a furtherexample, the individual containers may be a carton 21 with a gussetedtop, such as the Tetra Rex® available from Tetra Pak Inc. of VernonHills, Ill., USA, as shown in FIG. 3B. Any number of flexible materialsconfigured to hermetically store a liquid, including polymers, may beused to form the individual containers of the present exemplary systemand method.

An example of a portion of a process for forming non-rigid containers19, 20, 21 from sheet material is illustrated in FIG. 4. A flexiblesheet material 23 may be provided, such as from a roll, the flexiblesheet material 23 having a first edge 25 and an opposing second edge 27.A sealing strip 29 may also be provided, such as from a roll. Thesealing strip 29 may then be adhered to the first edge 25 of theflexible sheet material 23, so that it extends over the first edge 25.The flexible sheet material 23 with the sealing strip 29 adhered theretomay be sanitized in a chemical bath, such as a hydrogen peroxide bath31.

The flexible sheet material 23 may then be creased and folded withprogressive roller units 33 to form a tube 35. According to oneexemplary embodiment, the tube 35 may have any number of cross-sectionalshapes including, but in no way limited to, circular, oval, square,rectangular, or triangular cross-section. To form the tube 35, the firstand second edges 25 and 27 of the sheet material 23 may be positioned tooverlap and be secured together with an adhesive. Additionally, theportion of the sealing strip 29 that overhangs the first edge 25 may beadhered to the sheet material 23 proximate to the second edge 27, toprovide a longitudinal or transverse seal along the seam within theinterior of the tube 35 (and thus within the interior of the resultingnon-rigid containers 19, 20, 21), as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the tube may then be filled with base liquid10 via a delivery tube 37 prior to segments of the tube 35 being sealedto form package precursors 39, which are then cut from the tube 35 toprovide discrete non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 of packaged base liquid18.

To maintain freshness of the packaged base liquid 18, the sealing strip29 that provides the longitudinal transverse seal of the non-rigidcontainer 19, 20, 21 may include a material layer that provides anoxygen barrier. In some embodiments, the sealing strip 29 may comprise alayer of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH). For example, as shown in FIG. 6,the sealing strip 29 may comprise a plurality of layers and may comprisea layer 41 of EVOH sandwiched between layers 43 of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). Alternatively, the sealing strip 29 may be formedof a laminate that includes any number of polymer layers, including, butin no way limited to nylon, to increase the hermetic seal of theresulting non-rigid container 19, 20, 21.

The use of non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may facilitate cost effectiveshipping of the packaged base liquid 18. Non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21may be relatively light weight, may be configured to stack efficiently,reducing dead space between packages, and may be allow relatively roughhandling. For example, the packages may be stacked in a geometricallyefficient manner based on a flat-sided geometry, and such stackedpackages may be efficiently shipped. According to one exemplaryembodiment, packages having a square or rectangular cross-section may bestacked with adjacent flat sides touching, thereby eliminating unusedvolumes in transportation containers. FIG. 7 illustrates atransportation truck 1300 having a number of non-rigid containers 19,20, 21 having a rectangular cross-section, stacked in an efficientmanner. As illustrated in FIG. 7, each non-rigid container 19, 20, 21,with the exception of the edge containers, is stacked with a containerimmediately above, below, to the left, and to the right. This efficientstacking system, mating adjacent planar surfaces, allows for theshipment of the maximum volume of product. In contrast, traditionalcontainers used for carbonated alcoholic beverages were cylindricallyshaped, resulting in a high level of unused space when shipped. Asfurther illustrated in FIG. 7, a number of structural stacking dividers1310 are included between multiple layers of flexible containers 19, 20,21 to ensure that the maximum compression levels of the flexiblecontainers is not exceeded by the bottom container supporting allcontainers resting thereon.

Non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may also facilitate reliability andquality of the product received by an end consumer. Non-rigid containers19, 20, 21 may facilitate the pasteurization, or ultra-pasteurization,of the packaged base liquid 18 after packaging. This may eliminate thepossibility of the packaged base liquid 18 from being contaminated withmicroorganisms. Non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may additionallyfacilitate the inclusion of labels and information directly on thepackage, which may be aesthetically pleasing to an end consumer.Furthermore, non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may be environmentallyfriendly. Although there are many advantages to utilizing non-rigidcontainers 19, 20, 21, rigid containers, such as bottles and canscomprised of one or more of plastic, glass, and metal, may also beutilized.

In some embodiments, the packaged base liquid 18 may have a compositioncomprising a water content between about 89% wt and about 94% wt, a maltextract solids (e.g., beer flavor) content between about 3% wt and about5.5% wt, a carbon dioxide content less that about 0.15% wt, and an ethylalcohol content between about 0.1% wt and about 8% wt. Alternatively,according to one exemplary embodiment, the packaged base liquid 18 mayhave an apparent extract between −1 Degree Plato to 8 Degree Plato, withat least 50% coming from cereal. Additionally, as previously discussedherein, the base liquid 10 or the packaged base liquid 18 may bepasteurized, or ultra-pasteurized, to deactivate or kill any remainingyeast and/or other microorganisms therein.

Once the base liquid 10 is delivered to the consumer, it may becarbonated via any number of methods known in the art including, but inno way limited to a streamed or forced dissolution of carbon dioxide,nitrogen, and/or other gases into the base liquid. The precedingdescription has been presented only to illustrate and describe exemplaryembodiments of the invention. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to any precise form disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It isintended that the scope of the invention be defined by the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of decarbonating fermented liquidsin-line, the method comprising: decarbonating a carbonated cereal-baseliquid as a result of directing the carbonated cereal-base liquid into aspace to a level between zero grams to 1.5 grams per liter; maintainingthe carbonated cereal-based liquid in a space until substantially all ofthe carbon dioxide dissolved within the carbonated cereal-based liquidhas been removed to provide a non-carbonated liquid; maintaining saidspace at a partial vacuum pressure; and removing the non-carbonatedliquid from the space to a filler apparatus to package thenon-carbonated liquid in at least one end-consumer container.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said cereal-based liquid comprises amalt-based liquid.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising removingthe non-carbonated liquid from the space at substantially the same ratethat the carbonated cereal-based liquid is directed into the space. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein decarbonating a carbonated cereal-baseliquid in a space comprises distributing the carbonated cereal-basedliquid over a surface.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein directing thecarbonated cereal-based liquid over the surface comprises directing thecarbonated cereal-based liquid over a wall of a cylindrical vesseldefining the space.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising heatingthe carbonated cereal-based liquid.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereinheating the carbonated cereal-based liquid comprises heating thecarbonated cereal based liquid to a temperature between about 35° C. andabout 38° C.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the space is maintainedat an absolute pressure of about 10 kPa.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the carbonated cereal-based liquid comprises an ethyl alcoholcontent of at least 0.1% wt.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein thecarbonated cereal-based liquid comprises an ethyl alcohol content of atleast 0.5% wt.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the carbonatedcereal-based liquid comprises an ethyl alcohol content of at least 1%wt.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the carbonated cereal-basedliquid comprises an ethyl alcohol content between about 3% wt and about12% wt.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonated cereal-basedliquid comprises between about 3% wt malt extract solids and about 5.5%wt malt extract solids.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein thecarbonated cereal-based liquid comprises less than about 6 InternationalBitterness Units.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the carbonatedcereal-based liquid comprises less than about 3 International BitternessUnits.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the carbonated cereal-basedliquid comprises about zero International Bitterness Units.
 17. A methodof decarbonating fermented liquids in-line, the method comprising:heating a carbonated malt-based liquid; agitating the malt-base liquidby directing the carbonated malt-based liquid into a space whilemaintaining the space at a partial vacuum pressure; maintaining thecarbonated malt-based liquid in the space until the carbon dioxidedissolved within the carbonated malt-based liquid has been removed to alevel between zero grams to 1.5 grams per liter as a result of theagitation and pressure to provide a non-carbonated liquid; and removingthe non-carbonated liquid from the space to a filler apparatus atsubstantially the same rate that the carbonated malt-based liquid isdirected into the space where the non-carbonated liquid is packaged inat least one end-consumer container.